Air carrier flight crew reported an near midair collision with a departing aircraft they encountered...

Attributes
ACN	1405065
Time
Date	201611
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	MTPP.Airport
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Large Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Total 18100
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict NMAC

Narrative:

I was the pilot flying on arrival into mtpp. We were cleared via the savar 1D arrival landing runway 28 descending through approximately 7;500 feet. We were advised by ATC there was a VFR aircraft that departed mtpp and would be climbing at or near our altitude. Both the copilot and I were able to identify the aircraft visually and noticed he was slightly below and climbing towards us. The TCAS alerted us with a RA 'stating to climb'. The intruder aircraft was approximately 200 feet below us and climbing. I immediately clicked the autopilot off and because we were in a descent and the intruding aircraft was climbing (clearly had him in sight) my judgement was to continue to descend while he was climbing. I clearly felt; had I tried to reverse my descent and comply with the RA climb; we would have had a midair collision. My estimation is we were within 200-300 feet separation.ATC should have [had] VFR aircraft stop his climb and our descent to prevent loss of separation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier flight crew reported an NMAC with a departing aircraft they encountered on their arrival into MTPP. Although the TCAS RA command was to climb; the crew felt a descent was more appropriate.

Narrative: I was the pilot flying on arrival into MTPP. We were cleared via the SAVAR 1D arrival landing Runway 28 descending through approximately 7;500 feet. We were advised by ATC there was a VFR aircraft that departed MTPP and would be climbing at or near our altitude. Both the copilot and I were able to identify the aircraft visually and noticed he was slightly below and climbing towards us. The TCAS alerted us with a RA 'stating to climb'. The intruder aircraft was approximately 200 feet below us and climbing. I immediately clicked the autopilot off and because we were in a descent and the intruding aircraft was climbing (clearly had him in sight) my judgement was to continue to descend while he was climbing. I clearly felt; had I tried to reverse my descent and comply with the RA climb; we would have had a midair collision. My estimation is we were within 200-300 feet separation.ATC should have [had] VFR aircraft stop his climb and our descent to prevent loss of separation.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Air carrier flight crew reported an near midair collision with a departing aircraft they encountered on their arrival into mtpp. Although the TCAS RA command was to climb; the crew felt a descent was more appropriate.